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The Culture of 'The Culture': Utopian Processes in Iain M

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The Culture of 'The Culture': Utopian Processes in Iain M 1 THE CULTURE OF ‘THE CULTURE’: UTOPIAN PROCESSES IN IAIN M. BANKS’S SPACE OPERA SERIES A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Joseph S. Norman Department of Arts and Humanities, Brunel University London 2 Abstract This thesis provides a comprehensive critical analysis of Iain M. Banks’s Culture series, ten science fiction (SF) texts concerned with the Culture, Banks’s vision of his “personal utopia”: Consider Phlebas (1987), The Player of Games (1988), Use of Weapons (1990), The State of the Art (1991), Excession (1996), Inversions (1998), Look to Windward (2000), Matter (2008), Surface Detail (2010), and The Hydrogen Sonata (2012). I place this series within the context of the space opera sub-genre, and – drawing upon a critical toolkit developed by Istvan Csicsery-Ronay Jr. in The Seven Beauties of Science Fiction (2008) – I explore the extent to which Banks achieved his goal of reshaping the sub-genre for the political Left. Due to the complexity and ambiguity of Banks’s creation, this research addresses the central question: what is the Culture? I argue that the Culture constitutes a utopian variation of Csicsery- Ronay’s technologiade, challenging the notion that Banks’s creation represents an empire or imperialist project. I consider the Culture as a culture: peoples linked by a shared value system and way of life; a method of development and nurturing; a system of utopian processes. Drawing on Archaeologies of the Future (2005), I argue that the Culture series demonstrates Frederic Jameson’s notion of ‘thinking the break’, with Banks’s writing constantly affirming the possibility and desirability of radical sociopolitical change. I identify six key radical moves away from the non- utopian present – characterised as shifts, breaks or apocalypses – which form the Culture’s utopian processes, with each chapter exploring the extent to which the Culture has overcome a fundamental obstacle impeding the path to utopia. The Culture has moved beyond material scarcity, alienated labour, capitalism, and the class-system, maintaining State functions. Culture citizens are notable for significantly adapting their own bodies and minds – controlling senescence and ultimately death itself – but motivated by the desire to improve rather than transcend their humanity. The Culture has achieved a form of equality between the sexes and removed patriarchy, yet is still coping with the implications of sex and gender fluidity. Despite relying upon seemingly quasi-religious innovations, the Culture is entirely secular, having moved beyond any kind of religious or faith-based worldview. Finally, the Culture is perhaps an example of what Jameson has called ‘the death of art’, as creative and artistic practice seems to have become part of everyday life, which contrasts with the numerous artworks produced on its margins. 3 Contents Introduction (9) Chapter 1 – Postimperial, PostEmpire, Postcolonial 1.1 Space Opera, Empire and the World System (42) 1.2 The Problem of Intervention (45) 1.3 Banks on SC and Contact (48) 1.4 Traditional Empire (49) 1.5 Meta-empire (51) 1.6 ‘Empire’ and Utopian Globalisation (55) 1.7 The Culture Series as Technologiade (59) 1.8 Inversions as Technologiade (61) 1.9 Conclusion (69) Chapter 2 – Postscarcity, Postcapitalism, Postsingularity 2.1 Utopia (70) 2.2 The Culture as Postscarcity society (71) 2.3 Information as Commodity (74) 2.4 The Culture as Postcapitalist Society (77) 2.5 The Political Structure of the Culture (80) 2.5.1 Liberalism, Libertarianism, Minarchism (84) 2.5.2 The Minds as State (89) 2.6 A Hierarchical Society? (91) 2.7 Postscarcity and Human Behaviour (96) 2.8 The Player of Games: Property, Sentimentality, Possession (98) 2.8.1 The Empire of Azad as Capitalist Dystopia (103) 2.8.2 Class Inequality in Azad (105) 2.8.3 Azad as Game (106) 2.9 PostSingularity: the Minds of ‘the Minds’ (108) 2.9.1 AIs as Willing Slaves (112) 2.10 Conclusion (114) Chapter 3 – Posthuman, Transhuman 3.1 The Culture and its Humans (116) 3.2 Genetic Tinkering and Posthumanism (118) 4 3.3 A Posthuman Culture? (119) 3.4 Senescence and Rejuvenescence in SF (121) 3.4.1 Senescence in the Culture (122) 3.4.2 Use of Weapons: Senescence, Extended-life, Gene-fixing (125) 3.4.3 The Problem of Boredom (130) 3.5 Mortality (133) 3.6 Immortality (137) 3.7 Conclusion (140) Chapter 4 – Postgender, Postpatriarchy, Postbinary 4.1 The Culture and Feminist SF (143) 4.2 Critics on Banks’s Portrayal of Gender (145) 4.3 Space Opera: Feminine and Feminist (147) 4.4 Sex-swapping or Ambisexuality (149) 4.4.1 Matter: Djan becomes a Man for a Year (150) 4.5 SC Agents as Handy Men (154) 4.6 The Handy Woman (162) 4.6.1 Matter: Djan Seriy Anaplain (164) 4.7 The Wife at Home (165) 4.8 Reproduction and Child-rearing (167) 4.8.1 Excession: Reproduction through Mutualling (170) 4.9 Surface Detail: Yime as ‘Neuter’ (172) 4.10 Gender Identities of AIs (176) 4.10.1 Excession: Amorphia as Androgynous (177) 4.10.2 Surface Detail: Sensia as Female (179) 4.11 Conclusion (181) Chapter 5 – Postsecular, Postreligion 5.1 Banks and Religion (183) 5.2 A Total Lack of Respect for All Things Majestic (184) 5.3 The Culture as Humanist Utopia (187) 5.4 The Culture’s Quasi-religious Framework (189) 5.4.1 Evangelical Atheism and Utopian Crusades (190) 5.4.2 Secular Souls (193) 5.4.3 Virtual Afterlives: Limbo/Purgatory (195) 5.4.4 Virtual Afterlives: Heavens (197) 5 5.4.5 Virtual Afterlives: Hells (200) 5.4.6 The Minds as Gods (203) 5.4.7 Transcendence: Sublime, Sublimed, Sublimers (206) 5.5 Conclusion (210) Chapter 6 – Postaesthetics (212) 6.1 Art in Utopia (213) 6.2 Music in the Culture Series (215) 6.2.1 Look to Windward: ‘Expiring Light’ (216) 6.2.2 The Hydrogen Sonata: ‘The Hydrogen Sonata’ (222) 6.3 Other Arts in the Culture Series (227) 6.3.1 Excession: Gory Living Tableaux (227) 6.3.2 Surface Detail: Lededje’s Intagliation (236) 6.4 Conclusion (240) Conclusion (244) Bibliography (250) 6 Acknowledgements When I first met Nick in 2010 to discuss my ideas, he said that this project “had legs” – thanks so much to him for helping it to walk, guiding it down the road, and steering it away from potholes. Thanks also to all from the Department of Arts and Humanities who have supported my research during this time. I could not have funded this research without the various employers with whom I’ve worked during my time studying: especial thanks to Rachel Huckvale, Alex Buchanan, Trudi Hale, Rob Wannerton and Andrew Kershaw. Further thanks to all my friends, colleagues and fellow intrepid-PhD-adventurers who’ve helped keep me sane. Cheers to Barbara and all in the Brunel branches of Costa and Starbucks: your caffeinated beverages are the lifeblood of the University. Mum and Dad – to say that I could not have done this without you is a massive understatement: you’ve always supported my decisions, however unorthodox. Thanks for years of love, slap-up dinners, lifts, London jaunts, and everything else. Thanks to all who attended ‘The State of the Culture’ conference in 2013 where many ideas from this thesis were discussed, but especially Ken MacLeod for participating at such a difficult time. Thanks to Gary Lloyd for discussing the music he created with Iain, as well as for providing unique insight into his friend’s musical tastes and background. Finally, more thanks than I can effectively articulate in words to Em who has been helping with this project in many ways from the outset. I really appreciate you reading my thesis and various drafts thereof, and thanks for putting up with my occasional meltdowns, usually late at night. Most importantly, thanks for your love and affection. Then there’s the man himself: Iain (M.) Banks. It’s a pretty strange thing to hear the author you’re working on has died suddenly, right in the middle of your research. Even though I can only claim to have known Iain in a vague, vicarious way from reading his writing and hearing him speak, he was clearly a wonderful guy, not to mention a talented and fearless writer. I toast both Iain Banks and Iain M. Banks, figurative whiskey in hand. 7 List of Abbreviations All references in this thesis pertain to the editions listed in the Bibliography, except those below that refer to date of initial publication. The Culture Series ! Consider Phlebas (1987) – CP ! The Player of Games (1988) – PoG ! Use of Weapons (1990) – UoW ! The State of the Art (1991) – TSotA o ‘The State of the Art’ – ‘TSotA’ o ‘A Gift from the Culture’ – ‘AGftC’ ! Excession (1996) – E ! Inversions (1998) – I1 ! Look to Windward (2000) – LtW ! Matter (2008) – M ! Surface Detail (2010) – SD ! The Hydrogen Sonata (2012) – THS 1 Inversions is often considered something of a de facto Culture novel: it is generally published without the label ‘A Culture novel’, unlike the other texts; yet is widely regarded as depicting Special Circumstances agents operating in cognito, as is discussed in Chapter One. Therefore, in this analysis, I treat Inversions as an integral part of the Culture series. 8 “When I was a child, when I was an adolescent, books saved me from despair: that convinced me that culture was the highest of values” Simone de Beauvoir, The Woman Destroyed.2 “Not even sure of our own identity: just who is Culture? Where exactly does it begin and end? Who is and who isn’t? [...] no clear boundaries to the Culture, then; it just fades away at the edges, both fraying and spreading.
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